Legal Definitions - carcanum

Carcanum

Carcanum is an old word that means a prison or workhouse. It comes from the Latin word for "iron collar" or "pillory".

• The thief was sent to the carcanum for stealing from the market.
• During the 19th century, many poor people were forced to live in carcanums because they couldn't afford to pay for their own homes.

These examples show how carcanum was used in the past to describe places where people were sent as punishment or where they had to work to pay off their debts. It was often a place where people were treated badly and had to live in terrible conditions.